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Welcome to the

Barley Community Garden

A sustainable garden for the whole community to enjoy looking after.

What a year in the Barley Community Garden it has been! 2025 saw the planting of our fruit orchard, made possible by sponsorship from Richmonds Coaches. Our school visits went from strength to strength throughout the year, with children growing flowers and produce from seed to harvest, a highlight of which was definitely their pumpkin crop! We had our first major fundraising event hosting a pub quiz in May, and had a great time running a plant stall and children’s activities at the Barley Show in July. In November we were fortunate to secure a grant for standing raised beds to help our space become more accessible to all, and also added to our compost funds! Throughout the year we have added beds, ornamental trees, plants and log seating to make the garden an even more inviting place for people to visit. Thank you to all those who have supported the garden this year, buying plants, attending events or just saying hello over the garden fence! A huge thank you of course goes to the ‘Thursday Gardening Group’ who have volunteered their time in heatwaves, frost and rain, to keep the garden thriving, as well as to the hard working committee for their ongoing support. Bring on 2026!

What a year in the Barley Community Garden it has been! 2025 saw the planting of our fruit orchard, made possible by sponsorship from Richmonds Coaches. Our school visits went from strength to strength throughout the year, with children growing flowers and produce from seed to harvest, a highlight of which was definitely their pumpkin crop! We had our first major fundraising event hosting a pub quiz in May, and had a great time running a plant stall and children’s activities at the Barley Show in July. In November we were fortunate to secure a grant for standing raised beds to help our space become more accessible to all, and also added to our compost funds! Throughout the year we have added beds, ornamental trees, plants and log seating to make the garden an even more inviting place for people to visit. Thank you to all those who have supported the garden this year, buying plants, attending events or just saying hello over the garden fence! A huge thank you of course goes to the ‘Thursday Gardening Group’ who have volunteered their time in heatwaves, frost and rain, to keep the garden thriving, as well as to the hard working committee for their ongoing support. Bring on 2026!

What better way to spend a drizzly Saturday afternoon?! On our 3rd ‘village day’ we planted bags and bags of daffodils in the orchard (thanks you so much to Barley Horticultural Society for a donation from the Barley Show which we used to buy bulbs), as well as built standing height planter and build a whopping dead hedge around the Walnut Trees. All topped off with some tea and cake 💚 🍂 🌼
#bettertogether #communitygarden #socialtherapuetichorticulture

What better way to spend a drizzly Saturday afternoon?! On our 3rd ‘village day’ we planted bags and bags of daffodils in the orchard (thanks you so much to Barley Horticultural Society for a donation from the Barley Show which we used to buy bulbs), as well as built standing height planter and build a whopping dead hedge around the Walnut Trees. All topped off with some tea and cake 💚 🍂 🌼
#bettertogether #communitygarden #socialtherapuetichorticulture

🌍💚Today is World Mental Health Day.
Small moments in green places can make a big difference to our wellbeing. Nature helps us slow down, breathe and reconnect with ourselves and each other. Barley Community Garden is always open so feel free to pop in, take a seat, and enjoy sitting amongst the flowers and birds x
#worldmentalhealthday #wellbeinginnature #communitygarden

🌍💚Today is World Mental Health Day.
Small moments in green places can make a big difference to our wellbeing. Nature helps us slow down, breathe and reconnect with ourselves and each other. Barley Community Garden is always open so feel free to pop in, take a seat, and enjoy sitting amongst the flowers and birds x
#worldmentalhealthday #wellbeinginnature #communitygarden

The colours of autumn continue to shine bright in the community garden!
#autumnmood #communitygarden

The colours of autumn continue to shine bright in the community garden!
#autumnmood #communitygarden

Happy to have our new Year 4 group from Barley Barkway Federation First School for their first gardening session of the year. We checked on the orchard, sampled the apples and pears, planted carrots, beetroot and spring onions in their beds, and collected sunflower seeds. What a year in the garden we’re going to have!
#schoolgardening #communitygarden #autumngardendays

Happy to have our new Year 4 group from Barley Barkway Federation First School for their first gardening session of the year. We checked on the orchard, sampled the apples and pears, planted carrots, beetroot and spring onions in their beds, and collected sunflower seeds. What a year in the garden we’re going to have!
#schoolgardening #communitygarden #autumngardendays

Today we showed our school beds some love ready for the start of term. We weeded them and topped them up with compost, then snuggled the pumpkins up in straw to try to prevent them rotting before Halloween! Beetroot harvested to make more beetroot brownies 🫜
#communitygarden #rhsgardeninginschools

Today we showed our school beds some love ready for the start of term. We weeded them and topped them up with compost, then snuggled the pumpkins up in straw to try to prevent them rotting before Halloween! Beetroot harvested to make more beetroot brownies 🫜
#communitygarden #rhsgardeninginschools

The last few weeks have mostly been concerned with keeping the plants watered and alive! With the return of rain today we can look to the future. We have started collecting seeds- Foxgloves, Verbascum and Nigella are ready first, and we’ll also be collecting from Sunflowers, Verbena, Cosmos, Corncockle and Scabious.
#communitygarden #seedsofchange🌱

The last few weeks have mostly been concerned with keeping the plants watered and alive! With the return of rain today we can look to the future. We have started collecting seeds- Foxgloves, Verbascum and Nigella are ready first, and we’ll also be collecting from Sunflowers, Verbena, Cosmos, Corncockle and Scabious.
#communitygarden #seedsofchange🌱

What we’ve been up to lately…
Strimmed and mown the orchard, given the foxgloves a helping hand spreading their seeds, marvelled at our produce!
#communitygarden #communityorchard #growingtogether

What we’ve been up to lately…
Strimmed and mown the orchard, given the foxgloves a helping hand spreading their seeds, marvelled at our produce!
#communitygarden #communityorchard #growingtogether

It was a busy day at the Barley Show. We raised £200 on the plant sale- the Hostas almost started a bidding war! We welcomed lots of children into the garden for craft and growing activities, and hope the bug hotels are being well used around the local villages! It was so lovely to have people visit the garden and take a look around, many of whom have visited the garden since.
#barleyshow #communitygardening

It was a busy day at the Barley Show. We raised £200 on the plant sale- the Hostas almost started a bidding war! We welcomed lots of children into the garden for craft and growing activities, and hope the bug hotels are being well used around the local villages! It was so lovely to have people visit the garden and take a look around, many of whom have visited the garden since.
#barleyshow #communitygardening

We had a perfect afternoon in the garden with Year 3 and 4 from Barley and Barkway First Schools. Children harvested the potatoes and garlic they’d planted earlier in the year and are taking the produce back to school to make potato salad. They planted courgettes, radishes and more strawberry plants, and checked on the progress of their pumpkins!
They made a big hotel which has been called Buggingham Palace, and we have seen some creatures move in already! It’s looking very luxurious!
And finally the children helped water, one of their favourite tasks on a hot day 🤩
#communitygarden #gardeninginschools #barleybarkwayfederation

We had a perfect afternoon in the garden with Year 3 and 4 from Barley and Barkway First Schools. Children harvested the potatoes and garlic they’d planted earlier in the year and are taking the produce back to school to make potato salad. They planted courgettes, radishes and more strawberry plants, and checked on the progress of their pumpkins!
They made a big hotel which has been called Buggingham Palace, and we have seen some creatures move in already! It’s looking very luxurious!
And finally the children helped water, one of their favourite tasks on a hot day 🤩
#communitygarden #gardeninginschools #barleybarkwayfederation

A spotlight on annuals- we grow a number of annuals from seed in the garden. Seed growing is a welcome break from some of the heavier tasks we do in autumn and early spring. Annuals by definition grow, flower, set seed and die within one year so they put an enormous amount of energy into flowering as much as possible for as long as possible- great for pollinators and great for humans to enjoy! Many of them are cut and come again, so great for the cut flower patch.
Here we have Corncockle, Cornflower, Ammi Majus, Sweet Peas and Larkspur. Oh and a beautiful self-seeded Poppy, reminding us that no matter what we do, nature does it better!
#communitygarden #gardeningforhealth

A spotlight on annuals- we grow a number of annuals from seed in the garden. Seed growing is a welcome break from some of the heavier tasks we do in autumn and early spring. Annuals by definition grow, flower, set seed and die within one year so they put an enormous amount of energy into flowering as much as possible for as long as possible- great for pollinators and great for humans to enjoy! Many of them are cut and come again, so great for the cut flower patch.
Here we have Corncockle, Cornflower, Ammi Majus, Sweet Peas and Larkspur. Oh and a beautiful self-seeded Poppy, reminding us that no matter what we do, nature does it better!
#communitygarden #gardeningforhealth

A team of willing volunteers came together on the longest (and hottest!) day of the year to continue to grow the community garden. We built raised beds, watered, weeded and picked flowers 💚 🌺
We’re aiming to hold a number of ‘village days’ a year to work on projects to benefit people and wildlife.
#communitygarden #vitamingreen #gardeningtogether #greenspaces

A team of willing volunteers came together on the longest (and hottest!) day of the year to continue to grow the community garden. We built raised beds, watered, weeded and picked flowers 💚 🌺
We’re aiming to hold a number of ‘village days’ a year to work on projects to benefit people and wildlife.
#communitygarden #vitamingreen #gardeningtogether #greenspaces

The pouring rain didn’t stop us today! New log benches were forklifted into place and a new log seat circle created. We weeded, tidied and had some soggy flapjack and a cup of tea! Paddy, the newest member of the team, looked rather unimpressed to be getting drenched!
#communitygardening #dancingintherain #gardeningforhealth

The pouring rain didn’t stop us today! New log benches were forklifted into place and a new log seat circle created. We weeded, tidied and had some soggy flapjack and a cup of tea! Paddy, the newest member of the team, looked rather unimpressed to be getting drenched!
#communitygardening #dancingintherain #gardeningforhealth

Thank you to all those that came to the Barley Community Quiz Night. Congratulations to the winning team, Motley Crew, who stormed to victory in the last round. We were overwhelmed by the support and are thrilled to say we raised a whopping £860 which will go towards raised beds and tools for the garden.

A big thank you also to The Chequers, who loaned us glasses at the 11th hour and saved us from having to drink from plastic cups!

We were too busy to take many photos on the night- so here are some of the garden instead!
We are in the garden every Thursday from 2-4pm if anyone would like to join us, and there will be another Saturday working party day in June- date to be confirmed.

Thank you to all those that came to the Barley Community Quiz Night. Congratulations to the winning team, Motley Crew, who stormed to victory in the last round. We were overwhelmed by the support and are thrilled to say we raised a whopping £860 which will go towards raised beds and tools for the garden.

A big thank you also to The Chequers, who loaned us glasses at the 11th hour and saved us from having to drink from plastic cups!

We were too busy to take many photos on the night- so here are some of the garden instead!
We are in the garden every Thursday from 2-4pm if anyone would like to join us, and there will be another Saturday working party day in June- date to be confirmed.

Over the Easter bank holiday weekend a group from Barley Community Garden planted up a new flower bed in front of Barley Surgery. It was made possible by a generous anonymous donation by someone in the village who wanted to improve visitors’ arrival to the surgery, along with a number of volunteer hours from our gardeners. Plants selected include Viburnum, Abelia, Spiraea, Pittosporum, Liriope, Hebe, Lonicera and Eleagnus. Hopefully it will provide year round interest and fill the space beautifully!
#communitygardening #bettertogether #vitamingreen #gardeningforhealth

Over the Easter bank holiday weekend a group from Barley Community Garden planted up a new flower bed in front of Barley Surgery. It was made possible by a generous anonymous donation by someone in the village who wanted to improve visitors’ arrival to the surgery, along with a number of volunteer hours from our gardeners. Plants selected include Viburnum, Abelia, Spiraea, Pittosporum, Liriope, Hebe, Lonicera and Eleagnus. Hopefully it will provide year round interest and fill the space beautifully!
#communitygardening #bettertogether #vitamingreen #gardeningforhealth

Gather your friends and join us for a pub quiz to help raise funds for the community garden. We have worked hard over the past 10 months creating a garden and orchard from scratch, where children and adults gather, learn and grow. We have been very grateful for all donations of plants and sponsorship for the garden, and are now looking to raise funds for tools, compost and raised beds for our school groups.
In return for your company and quizzical skills we can offer a highly competitive evening, quiz master extraordinaire, ploughman’s supper, and a bar!
Please see poster and e-mail us for tickets.
#communitygardening #quiznight #compostfund #gatheryourfriends

Gather your friends and join us for a pub quiz to help raise funds for the community garden. We have worked hard over the past 10 months creating a garden and orchard from scratch, where children and adults gather, learn and grow. We have been very grateful for all donations of plants and sponsorship for the garden, and are now looking to raise funds for tools, compost and raised beds for our school groups.
In return for your company and quizzical skills we can offer a highly competitive evening, quiz master extraordinaire, ploughman’s supper, and a bar!
Please see poster and e-mail us for tickets.
#communitygardening #quiznight #compostfund #gatheryourfriends

I went to see Monty Don on tour at the Corn Exchange last night. Something which really struck a chord was his words about no matter how hard the winter is, Spring will always arrive. It was a very inspiring evening!
In the garden today we have been busy digging a new cut flower bed, constructing a gifted rose arch (thank you Jan McGill!) and sowing annual flower seeds.
#communitygarden #vitamingreen #springtime

I went to see Monty Don on tour at the Corn Exchange last night. Something which really struck a chord was his words about no matter how hard the winter is, Spring will always arrive. It was a very inspiring evening!
In the garden today we have been busy digging a new cut flower bed, constructing a gifted rose arch (thank you Jan McGill!) and sowing annual flower seeds.
#communitygarden #vitamingreen #springtime

Year 4 children from Barley Barkway First School have been busy planting pumpkin seeds in preparation for some Halloween fun in the autumn! They also learned about the different fruit trees in the orchard and how to identify them by their buds and blossom. 🌸 #communitygarden #schoolgardening #rhsgardeninginschools #barleybarkwayfirstschool #barleybarkwayfederation

Year 4 children from Barley Barkway First School have been busy planting pumpkin seeds in preparation for some Halloween fun in the autumn! They also learned about the different fruit trees in the orchard and how to identify them by their buds and blossom. 🌸 #communitygarden #schoolgardening #rhsgardeninginschools #barleybarkwayfirstschool #barleybarkwayfederation

We have a fruit orchard! On a cold, wet and mizzly February day, 20 volunteers helped to plant a new community orchard adjacent to the community garden next to the Plaistow. 18 trees were planted in total, including apple, pear, cherry, plum and quince trees. They have established well, and we’re looking forward to the spring blossom appearing (once it’s stopped snowing!). The hope is that not only will the orchard look beautiful, it will also provide food and habitat for pollinators and birds and we can share the harvest with the community and school in the autumn.
A huge thank you to Richmonds coaches for sponsoring the orchard, as well as Manor Farm for the land and the many people who turned up to help on the day. It was a true team effort.
#communitygarden #communityorchard #richmondscoaches

We have a fruit orchard! On a cold, wet and mizzly February day, 20 volunteers helped to plant a new community orchard adjacent to the community garden next to the Plaistow. 18 trees were planted in total, including apple, pear, cherry, plum and quince trees. They have established well, and we’re looking forward to the spring blossom appearing (once it’s stopped snowing!). The hope is that not only will the orchard look beautiful, it will also provide food and habitat for pollinators and birds and we can share the harvest with the community and school in the autumn.
A huge thank you to Richmonds coaches for sponsoring the orchard, as well as Manor Farm for the land and the many people who turned up to help on the day. It was a true team effort.
#communitygarden #communityorchard #richmondscoaches

Richmonds Coaches have generously sponsored the creation of an orchard in Barley Community Garden. A range of fruit trees and supports have been purchased and we would like some help from willing volunteers to plant them!
If you have a spare hour or two next Saturday (8th Feb) and can help with tree planting or a couple of other structural tasks, please e-mail Rebecca at barleycommunitygarden@gmail.com
#communitygarden #communityorchard #richmondscoaches

Richmonds Coaches have generously sponsored the creation of an orchard in Barley Community Garden. A range of fruit trees and supports have been purchased and we would like some help from willing volunteers to plant them!
If you have a spare hour or two next Saturday (8th Feb) and can help with tree planting or a couple of other structural tasks, please e-mail Rebecca at barleycommunitygarden@gmail.com
#communitygarden #communityorchard #richmondscoaches

Happy New Year from the Barley Community Garden! Thank you to everyone who donated to our Just Giving page to get the project off the ground, as well as those who have donated their time, plants, bulbs and cheery support over the past 5 months on our journey from a grass paddock to a community garden. We look forward to more growing and learning in 2025 🌿🥬🌷
#communitygarden #gardeningforhealth #2025 #bringiton

Happy New Year from the Barley Community Garden! Thank you to everyone who donated to our Just Giving page to get the project off the ground, as well as those who have donated their time, plants, bulbs and cheery support over the past 5 months on our journey from a grass paddock to a community garden. We look forward to more growing and learning in 2025 🌿🥬🌷
#communitygarden #gardeningforhealth #2025 #bringiton

If Carlsberg did rainy afternoons in December…. we planted donated raspberry canes into our first fruit bed, indulged in some sweet potato brownie to celebrate George’s birthday, then had a very inspiring trip to a local private orchard. One area of the orchard was planted in 1917 and the other in the 1950s. We came away with lots of ideas for our own community orchard which will be planted in the next few weeks as well as how we can celebrate the produce with local residents and groups. Making quince brandy is high on our list of chosen activities!
#communitygarden #growingtogether #communityorchard #wintergardening

If Carlsberg did rainy afternoons in December…. we planted donated raspberry canes into our first fruit bed, indulged in some sweet potato brownie to celebrate George’s birthday, then had a very inspiring trip to a local private orchard. One area of the orchard was planted in 1917 and the other in the 1950s. We came away with lots of ideas for our own community orchard which will be planted in the next few weeks as well as how we can celebrate the produce with local residents and groups. Making quince brandy is high on our list of chosen activities!
#communitygarden #growingtogether #communityorchard #wintergardening

We made the most of the winter sunshine and spent a lovely afternoon in the garden making natural bird feeders for our feathered friends. It was lovely to work with Year 4 from #barleybarkwayfederation and we are already planning their next visit.
A special moment was seeing one of the pupils come back to the garden after school to show his Mum what he had made and point out the names of lots of the plants he had been shown. It’s what community gardening is all about 💚
#communitygarden #barleybarkwayfederation #rhscampaignforschoolgardens #winterwonderland

We made the most of the winter sunshine and spent a lovely afternoon in the garden making natural bird feeders for our feathered friends. It was lovely to work with Year 4 from #barleybarkwayfederation and we are already planning their next visit.
A special moment was seeing one of the pupils come back to the garden after school to show his Mum what he had made and point out the names of lots of the plants he had been shown. It’s what community gardening is all about 💚
#communitygarden #barleybarkwayfederation #rhscampaignforschoolgardens #winterwonderland

Winter is on its way! The tasks in the garden haven’t stopped yet. We’ve given the grass its last cut of the year. Buddleia have been pruned by 1/3 so they can better withstand the winter winds, and we’ve removed the annuals that have now gone over. Garlic bulbs have been planted: they are traditionally planted on the shortest day of the year and harvested on the longest day, but we thought we’d get in before the ground freezes! We’ve started to label the plants so visitors to the garden can identify what is growing.
The winter bed is full of promise- Sarcococca and Skimmia are budding, and the Hellebores seemed to have survived their move from a local garden.
#communitygarden #wintergarden #gardeningforhealth

Winter is on its way! The tasks in the garden haven’t stopped yet. We’ve given the grass its last cut of the year. Buddleia have been pruned by 1/3 so they can better withstand the winter winds, and we’ve removed the annuals that have now gone over. Garlic bulbs have been planted: they are traditionally planted on the shortest day of the year and harvested on the longest day, but we thought we’d get in before the ground freezes! We’ve started to label the plants so visitors to the garden can identify what is growing.
The winter bed is full of promise- Sarcococca and Skimmia are budding, and the Hellebores seemed to have survived their move from a local garden.
#communitygarden #wintergarden #gardeningforhealth

What a beautiful afternoon in the community garden! We had a tough choice between sitting on the bench and bathing in the sunshine and getting some jobs done- and managed to balance the two!
We planted some herbs and copper Stipa Tenuissima in the sensory bed, and a Hamamelis (Witch Hazel) in the winter bed. The flowers just keep on blooming so we’re continuing to dead head and can see many more buds to come.
It’s hard to believe the clocks will be going backwards in less than 2 weeks!
#autumndays #communitygarden #gardeningforhealth #gardeningtogether

What a beautiful afternoon in the community garden! We had a tough choice between sitting on the bench and bathing in the sunshine and getting some jobs done- and managed to balance the two!
We planted some herbs and copper Stipa Tenuissima in the sensory bed, and a Hamamelis (Witch Hazel) in the winter bed. The flowers just keep on blooming so we’re continuing to dead head and can see many more buds to come.
It’s hard to believe the clocks will be going backwards in less than 2 weeks!
#autumndays #communitygarden #gardeningforhealth #gardeningtogether

#worldmentalhealthday #communitygarden #gardeningforhealth #vitamingreen #therapeutichorticulture

#worldmentalhealthday #communitygarden #gardeningforhealth #vitamingreen #therapeutichorticulture

We’re making the most of dry days when we get them! It was so lovely to welcome Hazel class from Barley Barkway First School who came for a tour of the garden. They kindly donated and planted daffodil bulbs and helped us plant our first veg patch. Hopefully we’ll have enough of a beetroot crop to make chocolate and beetroot brownies together! @our Thursday group have been busy planting up new beds, prepping lavender for Margaret House residential home to use in craft activities and keeping on top of weeding the beds. We’ll be back in the garden this afternoon at 2pm if anyone wants to pop down, say hi and join us for a cup of tea. 🪴💚☕️
#communitygarden #gardentherapy #barleybarkwayfirstschool #margarethousebarley #autumn #barleybarkwayfederation

We’re making the most of dry days when we get them! It was so lovely to welcome Hazel class from Barley Barkway First School who came for a tour of the garden. They kindly donated and planted daffodil bulbs and helped us plant our first veg patch. Hopefully we’ll have enough of a beetroot crop to make chocolate and beetroot brownies together! @our Thursday group have been busy planting up new beds, prepping lavender for Margaret House residential home to use in craft activities and keeping on top of weeding the beds. We’ll be back in the garden this afternoon at 2pm if anyone wants to pop down, say hi and join us for a cup of tea. 🪴💚☕️
#communitygarden #gardentherapy #barleybarkwayfirstschool #margarethousebarley #autumn #barleybarkwayfederation

The flowers are blooming, our gardeners have somewhere to rest thanks to the kind donation of a bench, and the beds are taking shape 🌿💚
#communitygarden #vitamingreen #growingtogether

The flowers are blooming, our gardeners have somewhere to rest thanks to the kind donation of a bench, and the beds are taking shape 🌿💚
#communitygarden #vitamingreen #growingtogether

Our plants looking glorious in the morning sunshine today 🌿💚
1.Echinacea 2. Verbascum 3. Nicotiana 4. Buddleia
#communitygarden #vitamingreen

Our plants looking glorious in the morning sunshine today 🌿💚
1.Echinacea 2. Verbascum 3. Nicotiana 4. Buddleia
#communitygarden #vitamingreen

We had a lovely afternoon in the garden mowing , weeding, watering, potting on, planting and tea drinking. A highlight was watching butterflies flying among the new plants, unfortunately it was too windy for them to stick around for a photo! Lovely to meet a couple of new people who came along for a chat and to see what we are up to- hopefully we’ll be seeing them again soon!
We’re taking a couple of weeks off the Thursday session while people are away on holidays, but will be back mid- August when we’ll be ready to create the next beds.
#communitygarden #gardeningforhealth #nodig

We had a lovely afternoon in the garden mowing , weeding, watering, potting on, planting and tea drinking. A highlight was watching butterflies flying among the new plants, unfortunately it was too windy for them to stick around for a photo! Lovely to meet a couple of new people who came along for a chat and to see what we are up to- hopefully we’ll be seeing them again soon!
We’re taking a couple of weeks off the Thursday session while people are away on holidays, but will be back mid- August when we’ll be ready to create the next beds.
#communitygarden #gardeningforhealth #nodig

Come and see us at the Barley Show today! We’re sharing plans, collecting ideas and enjoying talking to people about all things gardening 🌿🌸

Come and see us at the Barley Show today! We’re sharing plans, collecting ideas and enjoying talking to people about all things gardening 🌿🌸

Today we planted a mix of perennials including sedum, salvia, achillea, echinacea, nepeta, lavender and rosemary, along with some annuals including cosmos and nicotiana. The pollinators should love them, and hopefully people will too!
It’s only our second week of working together, but tea and biscuits are already firmly embedded in the gardening session!

Today we planted a mix of perennials including sedum, salvia, achillea, echinacea, nepeta, lavender and rosemary, along with some annuals including cosmos and nicotiana. The pollinators should love them, and hopefully people will too!
It’s only our second week of working together, but tea and biscuits are already firmly embedded in the gardening session!

We had a great morning in the garden getting our first beds dug. We were grateful for the rain yesterday as the soil was fairly easy to work with. We decided to experiment with types of cultivation- one bed was traditionally dug and the other follows the ‘no dig’ principles of not disturbing the soil. There were definite advantages and disadvantages of each method, and we look forward to seeing the effect on how the plants establish and grow.
Everyone had earned their tea and cake by break time, especially following some creative stamping of the soil in the no dig bed (pic 3).
#communitygardening #communitygardens #nodig #gardeningforhealth

We had a great morning in the garden getting our first beds dug. We were grateful for the rain yesterday as the soil was fairly easy to work with. We decided to experiment with types of cultivation- one bed was traditionally dug and the other follows the ‘no dig’ principles of not disturbing the soil. There were definite advantages and disadvantages of each method, and we look forward to seeing the effect on how the plants establish and grow.
Everyone had earned their tea and cake by break time, especially following some creative stamping of the soil in the no dig bed (pic 3).
#communitygardening #communitygardens #nodig #gardeningforhealth

HELP NEEDED! Is anyone free for a couple of hours (or whatever time you can spare) for a digging session on Thursday morning (4th July) to help create our first flower beds?
The beds will be measured and drawn in chalk and will need edging and the top layer of turf taking off. There are some stubborn grass and nettle roots so it is a task for the physically able, but I was fine doing it today with my small spade. See pictures for an idea of the task and my able assistant helping put plans to ground!

If you do have some spare time and fancy a full body workout on Thursday, please message below or e-mail me at barleycommunitygarden@gmail.co.uk so I have an idea of numbers.

We will meet in the garden at 9.30am. Access is via the public footpaths from the Plaistow, Picknage Road or High Street. There is NO ACCESS from King Edgar Yard private drive: please help us be good neighbours.
Please bring a spade, gloves and water. Cake and biscuits will be provided 💚

(This won’t be a regular activity- future beds will incorporate the no dig approach- this is to get us started as a garden).

HELP NEEDED! Is anyone free for a couple of hours (or whatever time you can spare) for a digging session on Thursday morning (4th July) to help create our first flower beds?
The beds will be measured and drawn in chalk and will need edging and the top layer of turf taking off. There are some stubborn grass and nettle roots so it is a task for the physically able, but I was fine doing it today with my small spade. See pictures for an idea of the task and my able assistant helping put plans to ground!

If you do have some spare time and fancy a full body workout on Thursday, please message below or e-mail me at barleycommunitygarden@gmail.co.uk so I have an idea of numbers.

We will meet in the garden at 9.30am. Access is via the public footpaths from the Plaistow, Picknage Road or High Street. There is NO ACCESS from King Edgar Yard private drive: please help us be good neighbours.
Please bring a spade, gloves and water. Cake and biscuits will be provided 💚

(This won’t be a regular activity- future beds will incorporate the no dig approach- this is to get us started as a garden).

This time last week the community garden committee joined Matt for his farm walk, where the local community were invited to learn about how the farm encourages and promotes wildlife, biodiversity and conservation. So much of what was discussed can apply to our gardens- including plants to provide a ‘winter bird table’ when they need it most, mixed planting to encourage a range of pollinators, and companion planting to minimise the need for fertilisers and pesticides. Gorgeous sheep dogs and a glass of wine at the end topped off a super evening! 🌱🍷🐝

This time last week the community garden committee joined Matt for his farm walk, where the local community were invited to learn about how the farm encourages and promotes wildlife, biodiversity and conservation. So much of what was discussed can apply to our gardens- including plants to provide a ‘winter bird table’ when they need it most, mixed planting to encourage a range of pollinators, and companion planting to minimise the need for fertilisers and pesticides. Gorgeous sheep dogs and a glass of wine at the end topped off a super evening! 🌱🍷🐝

The mowers have moved in…

The mowers have moved in…

I had a fun morning with Barley school talking through their design ideas for the garden. We will definitely be incorporating a running track, waterfall and labyrinth into the final designs 😉
#communitygarden #barleybarkwayfirstschool

I had a fun morning with Barley school talking through their design ideas for the garden. We will definitely be incorporating a running track, waterfall and labyrinth into the final designs 😉
#communitygarden #barleybarkwayfirstschool

Watch this space!
Formerly two grazing paddocks, this beautiful corner of Barley has been kindly offered by Matt and Anna Doggett and Manor Farm Trust as the site for a community garden. Lots of work has been going on behind the scenes and we are nearly ready to get spades in the ground 😊🌱🪴

Watch this space!
Formerly two grazing paddocks, this beautiful corner of Barley has been kindly offered by Matt and Anna Doggett and Manor Farm Trust as the site for a community garden. Lots of work has been going on behind the scenes and we are nearly ready to get spades in the ground 😊🌱🪴

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Latest News & Events

At Barley Community Garden, we strive to cultivate a thriving community through our shared love for gardening and sustainable living. We're constantly growing, so check back for the latest news and events!

What is a Community Garden?

What is a Community Garden?

What is a Community Garden?

Jun 27, 20241 min read

The mowers are in!

The mowers are in!

The mowers are in!

barleycommunitygar

May 30, 20241 min read

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